[Anonymous]

[DoorsToManual]

My question is simple…

Which FFP actually gives you something worthwhile?

I’m talking tangible difference!

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Air Malta

Readily available upgrades and a reasonable earn/burn ratio.

[DoorsToManual]

I’ve just travelled in Business on Emirates from London to Auckland (return) and am now a Silver Skywards member but can’t really see any benefits…that having been said I’m Gold in the BA Exec. Club and they promise the world but deliver nothing. I always travel in Club or First so I get the lounge etc included in my ticket.

[RichHI1]

American Airlines EXP level, 8 systemwide 1 class upgrades on any fare, easy award and upgrade availability at reasonable mileage amounts including one way awards all without Fuels srucharges on FFB tickets. Enhanced service line offering excellent service with reotuing and plans changing. Full fare domestic complimentary upgrades. Negative for UK posters who want lounge access, access is only available on non domestic itneraries.

[azthairub]

British Midland..When you first join Diamond Club, you will be a Blue member. It takes 16,000 membership status miles to reach Silver. From Silver it takes 38,000 membership status miles to reach Gold. Currently they are offering 1000 Mile to join and it is part of Star Alliance.

[RichHI1]

Doors to manual, a think a good starting point would be to ask what you are looking for? If you book full fare first class tickets then you will get little extra until you have done a number of flights and you are likely to get VIp service as a regular high value customer.

[FlyingChinaman]

Rich: Airline programmes which offer ways to burn miles rather than just redemption tickets are the best. The last thing for me is more air tickets!!!!!!

Cathay USED to offer cockpit simulation session to their members with miles that was the most interesting in the industry until their pilots complained with this type of offer!!!

I remembered Virgin had Hot air balloom on offer before.

However CX does offer lots of ways to use the miles for many things such as life-style products and services 9spa treatment etc) as well as hotel/restaurants/concert/theatre tickets.

[RichHI1]

I take a long vacation fro Christmas / New Year going back tot he Islands and then in the last few years Japan, Brazil, Australia and do that in First . Apart from that most of them get given to friends for upgrades and freeby tickets.

[FlyingChinaman]

Rich: Great that you are able to make us of your hard earned miles for some useful holiday trips.

But I think the various posters are questioning what other benefits rather than for the obvious!!

[NTarrant]

It still goes back to the question as to what you want out of a scheme. If you always travel in J or F then lounge access is not a problem, but if some or all of your journeys are in economy then acheiving lounge access is a genuine benefit.

Equally, if you want to collect points/miles to get free flights or upgrades then that too is a genuine benefit. Remember any FFP scheme is a lure to get your loyalty, the same as Nectar or Tesco Clubcard, which of these gives genuine benefits. The answer is that all schemes, unless they really do offer nothing, have a genuine benefit but only if that benefit is the one you want.

Remember the days of Green Sheild stamps and that you had to spend thousands of pounds to get the car!

[PatJordan]

I find BMI’s Diamond Club very good.

Earning elite status isn’t too difficult, even the lowest “sale fares” earn miles.

The upgrade vouchers (with Gold level) are useful as is access to the Star Alliance lounges in addition to BMI’s own lounge network.

My Diamond Club Gold care granted my wife and I access to Continental’s lounge in Newark last year. At that time I held a Continental Gold card and we were flying in domestic First, neither of which granted lounge access.

Reward flights are good value too.

Pat

[MarcusUK]

Virgin Atlantic if the best Gold card i use.
Get’s great service on the ground, and access to the best Clubhouse lounges worldwide. The arrivals lounge at LHR is truly great after a morning flight, and you are able to book a chauffeur service home, even for a miles flight, all run and managed by one person in the lounge.
I always get a personal welcome from the Cabin Manager, upgraded if booked in PE. U can also nominate one person for a Silver card, which will fast track them to Gold quickly
The VS Flying Club shopping on line system, i use to book most travel through the year. Most good hotel groups and agents, some Airlines, and Ebookers / Expedia offer a lot of miles when your booking go through the site. Use the FC Amex Black card also, and miles when you fly, it is superb.
I booked 2x Upper Class flights to Cape Town a few weeks ago, and earned 24,000 miles alone for the bookings…it costs only 50,000 miles for a one way Upper class redemption…and add on the flight miles earned!

VS also links you up with V Australia, V Blue, V America with equal benefits a redemptions, along with some other choice Airlines.
You also get Gold status benefits when you travel with Singapore Airlines!

VS have a style of flying that you either like or do not, much like KLM. Down to earth, informal, friendly unpretentious, and i feel quite unique in the air. They are an exciting element in the industry, and their FFP matches. They have not lost the personal touch of many other big Airline programs, which Star Alliance demonstrates.

I hold a KLM / AF Gold card also, and find KLM the best Airline in Europe, and all the benefits of Schiphol, but am part based in Amsterdam now, so it is always great to experience any element of Dutch life.

[Senator]

Having been a M&M member since 2000, and Senator since 2001 I must say this programme has always provided benefits to me. I’ve been invited to events, get b-day card each year on my b-day and with my travel pattern of connecting business class tickets in Europe, it provides excellent value in terms of all the miles I collect from this.

I tend to use miles to bring companions (friends and family) with me for holiday trips.

My only gripe is the fuel surcharges added to redemptions.

[LeTigre]

There are some suspiciously biased comments on this thread.

Let’s face it: all frequent flyer schemes require spending that is unrealistic for most of the population, and give little in return.
I see how miles are useful for business travellers as they represent a freebie for employees when companies pay but that is because companies must pay the prices for premium cabins that are so inflated.

Recent years have seen airlines get more and more stingy (we can look forward to the nasty suprise called Avios), just check this link out:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/rewardschecker
Apparently BA miles are worth 0.6p each, generous!

Regarding BMI, this in my opinion is the best current one as the tangible benefit of worldwide lounge access is 54000 miles away, through two years worth of star alliance flights- achievable for many. However, the earn rate has progressively worsened to the point where one can expect 25-50% mileage on most economy tickets. Furthermore, if BMI folds into either the extortionate VA or BA clubs, you can expect to see a corresponding lack of benefits.

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